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The 7th One Leaves Us (Bleach: Jūchin)
Tie-in Story: On a Far Away Current I Exile?! Soul Society experienced a rare occurrence today. The usually bright and sunny skies became overcast and teeming with ominous feelings. In the 7th Company's barracks, a boy of small height gazed out towards the melded gray and white sky while a girl beside him played a small flute. Another boy, who appeared to be in his late teens, reclined against a large pillow while a girl of similar age appearance lay on the floor staring at the ceiling above. "Hikaru hasn't come back from the meeting yet," complained Saya, again. "Stop it now," drawled Mizu. "Can't you find something else to say?" "But I miss him!" defended Saya, waving her arms comically. "I don't like letting him out of my sight!" "Ever since we met that priestess in Kagezenmura?" asked Nodoka. "Quiet, Nodoka," said Sayuri frantically. "What if someone hears you?" Nodoka held a blank gaze at Sayuri. "They can't. I speak through my mind, remember?" "Yeah, but what if someone can read your mind?" inquired Sayuri anxiously. "Wouldn't happen," spoke a voice just a little deeper than Hikaru's. "Nodoka's mind is more secure than the Maggot's Nest." "Vice-Captain Mizu," said Sayuri with some awe in her voice. Nodoka nodded, though a small look of annoyance came across his face in his brain being compared to something with 'maggot' in its name. Which even then, you'd have to know Nodoka well enough that the boy rarely exhibited any emotions whatsoever. "So you're saying Nodoka mentally drop-kicks any invaders of his mind?" asked John mischievously. "I'm saving a roundhouse kick for you, John," said Nodoka bluntly. All but the protagonist and dupe chuckled at Nodoka's threat to John. "I'll block it," countered John. "No you won't," responded Sayuri and Saya harmonically. John glared at his superior officers. "Gee, thanks for the pep talk." The comedy was interrupted by rapid footsteps coming from the hallway. "Excuse me, is Vice-Captain Mizu Kurosaki here?" The Despair of the Message "Speak," commanded Mizu. The door opened. "I am Gonsuke Fujikawa, 13th Seat of the . I have an urgent message about the status of Captain Hikaru Kurosaki." Saya jolted. "What happened to Hikaru-kun?" Mizu cast a glare Saya's direction, but she did not heed it. "What's happened to my brother?" Gonsuke swallowed. "He has been...exiled." Even Nodoka's face was rife with shock. Mizu stood completely still. The messenger before him trembled slightly. "He was not the only one." Mizu looked down to Gonsuke. "Stand up." The messenger did so. "Who else was charged?" asking the question he already knew the answer to. "Captain Seireitou Kawahiru of the and Captain Hibiki Asakura of the have been declared traitors of the Soul Society and have been exiled. Additionally, Captain Raian Getsueikirite and Vice-Captain Mashū Getsueikirite of the 10th Division have been promoted to the Zero Division." Calling Mizu's gaze forlorn would be the weakest descriptor. Sorrow, anger, and hopelessness melded into the darkest and saddest emotions that the man could have visible on his face. "Leave us," ordered Mizu. Gonsuke nodded, well aware of how Mizu's anger would become something one would not want to witness. The Vice Captain turned to the others in the room. John's fists turned white. Sayuri's head was buried in her hands. Nodoka gazed out at the clouds, but Mizu swore he could have seen a small tear drop fall from the blue clad boy's face. He looked over to Saya. Her eyes brimming with rage she stood up suddenly and marched to the door. Mizu blocked her way, only prompting her to try and move him. "Let me pass." "I cannot do that," answered Mizu stoically. "He's your brother, and they are your friends," said Saya with the anger rising in her voice. "How can you abandon them like this?" It took everything Mizu had to not slap Saya. "I'm not abandoning them. Hibiki can take care of himself, and as much as I don't want to admit it, Sei is a very formidable and resourceful person. On top of that, they are Yonkō-class fighters, so even if they send the Gotei after them, they can put up a decent fight." "Then what about Hikaru-kun?!" barked Saya. "He's your own brother? Are you just going to let him be banished from Soul Society without fighting? Or have you been eying his position as Captain, and now you have the opportunity to-" That did it. After a sound like the crack of a whip, Saya instantaneously flew to the other side of the room, crashing into the wall. Sayuri and John ran to her side. A bright red spot throbbed on the girl's face which Sayuri began to heal. John faced down Mizu. "What the fu-" "DON'T EVEN START WITH ME!" roared Mizu, his reiatsu rising to intimidate John and the others. Nodoka watched silently from the porch. "You don't even know Hikaru like I do. Obviously, he was put into a position where it was a no win scenario." He glared at Saya, but softened his gaze when he saw the fear and sadness in her eyes. "I'm not qualified to be a Captain. I think my actions just now proved that." John spat. "Anyone who hits a woman out of rage doesn't even deserve to be called a man." "Not the point here, Yohaneden," said Mizu, though he did internally regret his outburst. "Has anyone else noticed that there isn't an army on our doorstep ready to take us all down to the 1st Division barracks or the Central 46 for a trial?" Realization came across all the faces of those present. Mizu continued. "It stands to reason that someone was targeting Yonkō-class fighters. Find it a little odd that only the 4 Yonkō and a Yonkō relative were reassigned or banished?" "So where does that leave you?" asked Nodoka. Mizu considered this for a moment "I'm guessing either they think I'll be their puppet in the 7th Division, or that I'm weak in their eyes." "I'm betting on the latter," spoke Sayuri with venom. "Either option pisses me off, so pick your favorite," retorted Mizu. "Even though Hikaru was banished, it does not mean he won't come back for us. We all came under the same company because we trust Hikaru more than the other Captains, right?" John looked down, his eyes appearing lost. Sayuri continued to tend to Saya's wounds, looking her patient in the eye. They both nodded, albeit Saya more tenderly as she still was reeling from Mizu's strike. Nodoka stood up and turned to the group, his usually blank eyes emitting a fiery look. "If we stay here, we'll most likely be scattered as to not raise up a rebellion. Mizu is correct. I only joined the Gotei because of Hikaru's power and his leadership. The only logical choice now is to find Hikaru and escape to the World of the Living." "This is insane!" yelled John. "We can't leave the Soul Society." "You don't have to," responded Mizu. "None of you do. You can stay here and continue the lives that you know." He looked over to Nodoka, the only one he considered his equal to an extent. "Or you can listen to Nodoka, who is usually right, and leave behind a life where you'll be written off as subordinates of the traitor. Regardless of your astounding abilities, I doubt any of you would become seated officers again after this incident. The only thing that we can do now is to leave Soul Society." Gradually, Sayuri and Saya stood up and walked over to Mizu. Saya glared at the younger Kurosaki brother, and then yanked him down to eye level. "I'm coming with you." Mizu's expression lightened. "Sorry for slapping you like that." Saya gave a playful sneer. "I'll get you back someday. Count on it." "I'll be waiting," said Mizu seriously. He looked back over to Nodoka. "I already know your answer, but I may as well ask. You gonna come with us?" "I gave a small speech on the negatives of staying here; what do you think?" "Snarky brat," mused Mizu. He looked back over to John. "What about the Fall guy. You gonna ditch the Gotei and hang with us?" You make us sound like a gang, thought Sayuri. And did you forget to ask me? He didn't, 'spoke' Nodoka. He already knows that you're going to come along anyway. Sayuri did not argue. John shifted. "I..." Mizu shook his head. "Whatever, John. You may be content to stay here, and that's fine with me. Live the easy life You'll really just be in the way." John continued to look down. Mizu looked over his shoulder to John. "Musokuno's grave." The Kakusei boy looked up at Mizu. "If you decide to join us, head to Musokuno's grave. That's where we'll be leaving from." The younger of the Kurosaki brothers flashed away from view, Sayuri and Saya following suit. John cast his glance towards Nodoka, who only closed his eyes and disappeared, leaving John alone. Fragmented Stories Deep in the heart of the Gaitenkyūden, the scholar/Kidō Grandmaster, Taira Geshunin, strode through the seemingly endless hallways of codices eternally chronicling the history of the world brought to its enormous mainframe. Everything was as a blur around her, though this was something she became accustomed to. Kitsune darted left and right with scrolls held carefully in their jaws, each carrying gathered information from across the Soul Society. One of them, however, stopped in its stride, siting down while a weathered hand came and patted the fox spirit's head. Annoyed by the impeding of her worker's progress, Taira marched over only to find Utsūgi Kururugi being the obstruction. He looked up, no emotion present in his face. Taira was undeterred. "What is it, Utsūgi? Did you come here to try and ogle me?" "No, I do not waste my time with such things," answered Utsūgi blankly. Taira furrowed her brow. "What, am I not good enough for you?" Utsūgi shook his head. "Your appearance is not what drew me here, and I would appreciate it if you would be serious for a moment." I would seriously like to SHOW you that YOU have no authority over me, Yatagarasu, thought Taira, wishing she could just bark back at the Yatagarasu member. However, a representative from the group of assassins responsible for hunting down the Yonkō during the Seijinchū Purge became rarer and rarer these days, and he must have had a good reason. "Very well. What is it that you wish?" "I wish to kill Hikaru Kurosaki," stated Utsūgi. Taira paused. "That's pretty pointless. Who cares about some nobody Captain from the Gotei 13?" "Are you saying that with all your knowledge available in this gaudy city, you cannot find one piece of information on the origins of Hikaru Kurosaki?" A blast of a Shakkahō barely missed Utsugi's right ear. Taira's left hand smoked from the blast discharge. "Unless you want a one way ticket off of here, I suggest speaking with less foot in your mouth." Utsūgi shuffled. "I will endeavor to do so." Taira turned to a terminal, looking up any information she could find on Hikaru Kurosaki. "We exiled Hikaru. End of story. Who cares what happens to him now?" "I do," said Utsūgi. "Obviously, otherwise you wouldn't have come researching Hikaru." A screen popped up on the holographic screen. "Here we are. Hikaru Kurosaki. Fought against some Vasto Lordes...took down crime operations...studied under Gensaku Kaenōra and Shōyō Shakyamuni." She pulled out the stool underneath the console and sat down. "Who cares? Lots of people have done stuff like this. It doesn't make him anything special." "Look under his earlier years," said Utsūgi. "There isn't anything to look under," stated Taira passively. Her eyes widened. "There isn't anything to look under." She tapped a few keys, only to be met with error messages. "What the hell? Can't be tampering." "It is not," began Utsūgi. "Then what? This place makes the Daireishokairō look like a weekly newspaper. There couldn't possibly be a reason why some information should be missing." "That is because there was no record of Hikaru's conception, nor his brother's," said Utsūgi. "They have a definite starting point at opposite ends of Soul Society, but their birth into this world is left strangely blank. Why do you suppose that is?" Taira pursed her lips. Why did she not notice this before? Even during the First Shinigami-Arrancar War, she never once looked up Hikaru's origins. Knowing that Hikaru and Mizu were the last of their family was knowledge enough, so searching on their parents' demise did not strike her as a fruitful endeavor. Now, she thought of every possibility, including that Hikaru and Mizu were far older than they made themselves out to be. "I have no idea." Utsūgi walked over to Taira, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps if you come with me, you can find out the beginnings of the Kurosaki brothers." He leaned closer to whisper. "And witness their demise." Taira glanced over to Utsūgi, her eyes showing a conflict of desires. She wanted to complete the archives by finding out about Hikaru and Mizu's origins, yet, she really did not bear too much of a grudge against them. She also knew how the two would act in the situation they found themselves in. Hikaru would just take it and leave gladly, and Mizu would not have staged a rebellion as he could not have mustered more forces than the 7th Division, and even then they would be no match for the other Divisions let alone the Royal Guard. The most likely scenario would be for Mizu to leave Soul Society with his brother; Taira had read that the two were inseparable, even if it cost them a high position. She also read that the two were coerced into the Gotei 13, hence their nature for bending the rules and opposing Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's orders on more than one occasion; the First Shinigami-Arrancar War attested to this. She turned and faced Utsūgi, her decision made. "You've at least piqued my curiosity in this matter, and I do so hate to read an incomplete story. I'll go with you." Utsūgi smiled lightly. "Good." He turned to leave the gargantuan archive hall. "One question." Utsūgi turned his head slightly to Taira's direction. "The Seijinchū Purge ended long ago. Are you still carrying it out? Or is this for some other reason?" Utsūgi turned away. "I only follow the 'will of the heavens'. Hikaru Kurosaki is a dangerous element who cannot be kept alive. I fear that in the future, he will bring the destruction of all worlds." "What makes you say that?" asked Taira, her interest increasing. "You should know about the bloodlines Hikaru comes from, yes?" asked Utsūgi. "Uh..." Taira scratched the back of her neck. "He is descended from all three of the Sōzōshin families, and of the Getsueikirite family," stated Utsūgi. "What? How's that possible?" asked a confused Taira. "Hikaru and Mizu are descended directly from the 2nd Generation of Yonkō along with a short-lived head of the Getsueikirite family. However slight, their blood is filled with power. And that power would become a very grave threat." Utsūgi took his leave with Taira standing in awe. "Now I want to find out more on the infamous Kurosaki brothers," said Taira with a mischievous ring in her voice. The Outskirts A small portal opened above a desolate field with a man wearing a burgundy-red kimono jumping down to the surface. His crimson red hair flowed in the breeze, and his blue topaz eyes scanned the near lifeless area. He walked a bit to the more deadened part of the landscape, holding his hand up as though a wall was before him. "The birthing of universes, made aware by the grand ones of old. Open thy gates to one whom you have recognized as your own. Hadō #123: Ōdan Fuhen." When the last syllable left Hikaru's tongue, a grand translucent dome appeared before him, indescribable colors dancing across it. A small gate opened in the dome, where Hikaru passed through to enter the area. What it actually looked like betrayed the illusion on the outside. Lush fields of verdant grass stretched before him. A small village situated near a great lake bustled with activity, something Hikaru found strange. The gate closed behind the Yonkō, and he flashed to the village's edge. He found that Kagezenmura was celebrating their anniversary of the founding of the village. Hikaru tried to read the signs, but the Kagezenmura villagers used a writing system that wasn't like any that the Human World or the rest of Soul Society had ever seen, so he could not deduce the year. Despite this, he passed by many a villager, greeting them while they engaged in the festivities. An elderly looking man with black hair caught Hikaru's eye. "Hyōhen-dono." The man looked to Hikaru with a small joy in his eyes. "Hikaru-kun. It is good to see you again." He looked to the revelry around him. "You came at quite the opportune time. The festival has just started." "So it has." Hikaru's face bore a smile, but his words came out somewhat sad. Hyōhen's wizened eyes analyzed the Shinigami before him. "What is the trouble?" Hikaru waved away any negative emotions. "Nothing really. I just hoped to see Kirika-dono in a yukata robe." Hyōhen chuckled. "You and every other eligible bachelor in this village. Priestess or not, my daughter is always being sought after." Hikaru looked out towards the coastline. "Where is she by the way? This one would like to speak with her." "She's back at the house preparing for tonight's festivities, so she is not readily available," answered Hyōhen. "What do you want to ask her?" Hikaru sighed. "Well, it concerns this one primarily. And she is involved as well." The jubilation of the festival began to drown out Hikaru's speech. "Hyōhen-dono, if it would not be too much trouble, could you escort this one to your house? This is a conversation that needs to be spoken of in private, and this one is sure when the two of us would arrive, Kirika-dono would be in a position to speak to this one." At first, Hyōhen would have declined, saying that Hikaru should wait and be surprised, but there was something that he saw in the man's eyes. Something, like fear. Apprehension. Back when Hikaru and his entourage had 'found' Kagezenmura, not a trace of fear could be seen in the man's eyes. Now, it was as though the confident man was running from some unseen enemy. Hyōhen nodded, beckoning Hikaru to follow him. "You had better explain all of this to me on the way there. You can trust me, Hikaru-kun." Hikaru looked down, a lost look frozen upon his face. A stand selling sake caught his eye. "This explanation will require a drink before starting." "All right then." Hyōhen bought two bottles of sake, expecting that Hikaru's tale would not be an enjoyable one to hear sober. As the two exited the village, away from intruding ears Hikaru began his story. "Today, my friend Raian Getsueikirite was promoted to the Zero Division. However, this promotion came at a cost. He was to kill all of the other Yonkō." Hyōhen's eyes grew in anxiety. "Have you told him about our village?" Hikaru nodded, "Yes, I have." Hyōhen noted Hikaru's pronoun change, but rage began to overtake him. "And you didn't think Kirika's life might not be in jeopardy? Why would you come here? Your presence puts her and the village in danger!" Hikaru shook his head. "Let me assure you; Kagezenmura and its people along with the secrets of Shadow Island are safe from danger. Raian refused to cut down his comrades. The reason I am here is because I am now considered a criminal by the Royal Guard, and as such, I am banished from Soul Society." Hyōhen stopped walking. "If that is so, how are you here?" "The Royal Guard along with the Gotei 13 really suck at sensing me," said Hikaru blankly. "Not only that, there are multiple gates into Soul Society that no one even bothers to check. I came here discreetly; not even Mizu knows that I am here, but he'll no doubt figure it out sooner or later." Hikaru locked eyes with Hyōhen. "I am here for one purpose alone. I wish to take Kirika as my wife and have her come live with me in the World of the Living." END Next Story: Loyal Followers; Undying Friends